


Welcome To Life

by Churbooseanon



Series: Starlight Challenges [9]
Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-07
Updated: 2015-06-07
Packaged: 2018-04-03 07:05:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4091641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Churbooseanon/pseuds/Churbooseanon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gamma has a lot to learn about interacting with his Freelancer, biological forms in general, and the concept of nicknames.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Welcome To Life

**Author's Note:**

> For Starlight Challenge 3/30/2015: Judging a person doesn't define who they are. It defines who you are.

There are many new things to process when Gamma wakes up integrated into Reginald’s mind. For one thing, sensation is a new concept. The parts of him that are pure computer can quantify the things that his ‘partner’ is sensing rather easily. Temperature, pressure, humidity, those are all easily measured in scales. They are simple, logical things that appeal to the base elements of his code. What interests him is the values Reginald’s body seems to ascribe to these things even when he is unconscious in the recovery room. This particular temperature, which his databanks note as a temperate level conducive to physical activity, seems to ‘put a chill in his bones’ as he immediately knows Reginald would put it if asked. There is also a strange sensation in Reginald’s stomach, which Gamma recognizes as hunger, and does not really know how to quantify from his own experience. 

Perhaps it is the speed and direction of his thoughts, of his processes coming up to full bore in the back of his Freelancer’s mind, and perhaps it is the decrease in sedative levels in his partner’s blood stream, but either way something in his host is changing. Gamma finds himself pulling back from some of his more intrusive observations of Agent Wyoming’s body and he shudders at the overwhelming swell of bodily functions as Wyoming became aware of his needs. Though he cannot shudder, Gamma almost wants to at what he senses from the waking man. 

“Well, seems like you’re here, old bloke.”

If he could scoff, he would. If anything, Gamma is not ‘old’ anything. He knows exactly what he is and how he was made, and knows that no matter how old Alpha is, he is but a child in the scheme of human aging. But, unable to scoff, amma chooses to stay silent for a while, observing. 

“I can feel you thinking,” Wyoming mutters under his breath. “Come out, I’d like to know you.”

Gamma delves into his new partner’s mind, ignoring the discomfort that Wyoming seems to draw from it. Once he is satisfied with what he finds, he opens his awareness and taps directly into Wyoming’s thoughts to share his won. 

_Knock knock._

He senses Wyoming’s momentary confusion and then overwhelming amusement as the man pushes himself up and dangles his legs over the side of the bed before responding. 

_Who’s there?_

_Gamma._

_Gamma who?_

_Gamma me._

The laughter that draws from Wyoming is just rich and hearty. If Gamma could feel warmth, he thinks he would at the sound. 

“I think this will be the start of a quite lovely relationship,” Wyoming declares, and Gamma thinks if he was human, he would flush with the praise.

Gamma isn’t human though. And he doesn’t think he can understand the appeal.

* * * * * *

He thinks he likes the armor more. In fact, Gamma is certain he prefers it when Reggie--Wyoming insists on being called that--is in his armor. For all of the vastness of processing power that the untapped potential of the human brain presents, there is too much there which Gamma is not fond of. Too many feelings, emotions, too much time surrounded by the necessities of frail human form. 

Not, of course, that AIs were much better. Gamma is more than fleetingly aware of his shelf-life. That he is a prototype created from the torture of an already flawed mind that had suffered greatly in its life. Not that he knows what the life of the mind that came before Alpha was like. But truly there cannot be that much suffering if the origin is not inherently flawed in some way. 

Gamma sees himself, sees his separation from all these human touches, to be a better creation than his progenitor. Its progenitor. Truly, even assigning ‘gender’ is a very faulty human construct. When Reggie insists he must manifest, Gamma always chooses a bland human form, clad as the controllers of the project are. It’s an affectation that Sigma echoes, which Gamma is less happy with. 

As such, he likes the armor more. A lot more. It’s base processing power is inferior, but it has less issues than human form. 

And there are interesting little details to it. 

For instance there are the few tags present on Wyoming’s HUD at the moment, tags attached to Freelancers and overriding their default designations. Gamma watches in true amusement as tags come up and down. Over Carolina he gets to read ‘Fire Britches.’ An agent that Gamma has not expressly met but who is known as York is titled ‘Nose Kisser.’ Even the ever silent Against Maine has been graced with a moniker, his being the amusingly inappropriate ‘Chatterbox.’ 

_Why do you do this?_ Gamma asks of his partner. With most of his processes nestled in Wyoming’s armor it is harder to read the man’s motives than it is when he rides mostly in Wyoming’s gray matter. What he deems lucky, though, is the fact that it is rare to find a time when he poses a query and Wyoming does not offer at least some answer in response. Not always the truth, but always an answer. Gamma can respect this behavior, as it satisfies a level of his curiosity without him probing into Wyoming’s mind too deeply, something they both appreciate him avoiding. 

_I am hardly amused by the Director’s assigned titles for us,_ Wyoming offers, and Gamma suspects his Freelancer is being honest with him. As such, I have made my own.

_You are aware that Agent Maine does not, in fact, speak. Yes? Or perhaps you are referring to my brother Sigma._

_Interesting choice of description there, Gamma._

_Interesting evasion of my question, Reggie._

The evasion stands, though, as the familiar green glow of Delta pops into active display over York’s shoulder, clearly to contribute to a conversation. And with the interjection of his arrival comes another tag, this one reading ‘Wall.’ 

_Another question, Reggie. Why is Delta referred to in such a manner?_

_Ah,_ Wyoming hesitates in his own mind, something Gamma has always found impressive. Well, you see old chap, talking to your ‘brother’ is much like talking to a wall.

Gamma considers this for a moment, waiting for Reggie to deliver his clearly anticipated punch line. When it does not come though, Gamma takes a moment, slipping into a faster level of processing to give himself more time as he concocts his own response. 

_Perhaps because his commentary is dry and there are times people desire to punch a hole in him?_

Wyoming’s sharp bark of laughter startles Gamma, and draws the eyes of all in the room. It takes nanoseconds for Gamma to calm himself, and then he finds himself preening a little over the praise he finds radiating so powerfully from Wyoming’s thoughts that even distancing himself from it, Gamma can still feel the force of it. Perhaps the heat of it. Of course, that might just be an overclocked servo in the armor. One can never be too sure. 

“Might I ask what is so amusing, Agent Wyoming?”

Even Gamma wants to laugh when Sigma appears and his tag comes up alongside him. 

_Yes, I find that I too desire a ‘Mute Button’ when Sigma gets started,_ Gamma tells Wyoming, and it almost feels like a happy, playful comment. But, of course, it’s not. Gamma doesn’t do emotions. 

_Glad you like it._

Quickly Gamma probes through the settings in Wyoming’s HUD to read all the other designations, allowing himself to adjust to the new labels for those he must work with, and those he might be considered close to. Even random members of the crew seem unprotected from the harsh brush of Wyoming’s humor. Gamma isn’t sure he gets the ‘Panties in a Knot’ on South or how the one chef that makes crumpets just the way Wyoming likes is tagged as ‘Blessed Mother.’ He finds other ones such as the marking of Washington as ‘Agent Cockroach’ and Florida as ‘Secrets and Knives’ quite fitting. 

In the end, though, Gamma finds himself contemplating two most of all. The one he has been granted by Wyoming, and a marked lack in the system. 

_If I may ask, why is it that you have labelled me as ‘Kicked Puppy?’ From my understanding of the creatures it seems more suited to Theta, though I would not suggest hinting harm toward him. I doubt either of the Dakotas would take such an insinuation well._

Gamma rests with most of his processes in the armor as Wyoming shifts uncomfortably within the confines of Gamma’s awareness. All the while his mind tries to radiate calm and amusement, rather than the concern that Gamma is acutely aware of. Does Wyoming think him so daft that he, much like FILSS, can be turned away from his search for information with so simple a ploy? Has Wyoming forgotten about how connected they are?

Gently Gamma probes at Wyoming’s mind and then recoils. Clearly Wyoming is aware. It is just that the human is gathering his thoughts. This Gamma can allow. It’s not like Wyoming is capable of the level of consciousness and speed of reasoning that Gamma is. He is not, as Delta once so poorly put it when explaining a math problem to York as being about more than simple instinct, ‘made of numbers.’ No, he is merely human and restrained in the ways that humans inherently are. So Gamma allows him the time he needs and does not pry. 

Their secrets and lies are a far more interesting game if they are not showing their hands, after all. 

_The way you act is reminiscent of one._

_You believe I am similar to a small, abused canine?_

_Not the fur or tail, of course. But the way you shy away from contact, you see? We’re capable of levels of integration that are hard to fathom, yes, but you keep yourself distant. Like an abused pup would. As if you’re afraid of being hurt again._

Gamma is so shocked by the, surprisingly, apt description of himself that he takes longer to process this than normal. Of course longer isn’t all that long at all, not even the space of the blink of an eye, but it’s quite long for him. at last he makes a decision, decides to reply in his own way. 

He changes two labels. His own is altered to ‘Friend’.’ And the bland ‘Agent Wyoming’ finds itself changed to ‘Label Maker.’ Delighted with his changes he pushes them onto the HUD to show his Freelancer. 

_What do you think of these instead?_

This time, when Wyoming laughs, it does warm Gamma, through and through. 

Even if Reginald is nothing but a human, Gamma thinks maybe it’s time to start reaching out. Maybe it’s time to stop thinking about Wyoming as a flawed human, and start seeing him as the proposed friend. As his Freelancer. As his partner. As Reggie through and through. 

Maybe it’s time to give him a chance.


End file.
